Julia Keese Nelson Colles

By Annabelle Sebastian

Julia Keese Nelson Colles’ manuscript about Newark author Mary Mapes Dodge, 1892. Image courtesy of the New Jersey Historical Society, Newark, NJ

Julia Keese Nelson Colles (1840-1913) was an American academic and a founding member of the Women’s Board of the New Jersey Historical Society.

Jullia Colles was born in New Orleans and married George Wetmore Colles, the son of her father’s business partner. The couple settled in Morristown, where George Colles’ father lived. After 12 years of marriage, Julia and George separated in 1880, and Julia gained custody of their children.

In 1886, Colles bought the Arnold Tavern in Morristown, a historic building at risk of being demolished. The building was moved, and later sold to the Assumption Church. Colles was the founder of the Women’s Board of the New Jersey Historical Society, served on the genealogical committee from 1897-8, was elected as a member of the society in 1891, and made a life member in 1906.

Colles also served as chair of Social Science at Rutgers Female College in New York City, and was a lecturer and an author, focusing heavily on local Morristown history. She wrote the book, Authors and Writers Associated with Morristown, which compiled letters and information about local authors, which was published in 1895 by the Vogt Brothers. 

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References:

“Colles Family Papers.” The New York Public Library Archives & Manuscripts. Accessed August 22, 2024. https://archives.nypl.org/mss/17772#overview.

“Finding Aid to the Colles Family Papers, 1807-1946.” Morristown and Morris Township Library, n.d. https://mmtlibrary.org/HCFindingAids/Collesfamilyead.xml. 

Suggested Citation:

Sebastian, Annabelle. “Julia Keese Nelson Colles.” New Jersey Women’s History, Rowan University Libraries, 2024. https://njwomenshistory.org/biographies/julia-keese-nelson-colles/.